Economic outlook for the production of ethanol from forage plant materials
- Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins
As an alternative to woody biomass, vegetative forage crops may be good substrates for ethanol fermentation due to their low lignin content. In this research project, vegetative alfalfa, vegetative sudan grass and vegetative, mature and ensiled sorghum species were tested as possible feedstocks for ethanol production. Results are presented here for the yield of sugars via cellulose hydrolysis of these materials and for the projected alcohol production costs for a 25 x 10/sup 6/ gallon/year plant. These costs ranged from $1.68/gallon for vegetative sudan grass to $2.58/gallon for vegetative alfalfa. Substrate costs comprised the major fraction of the total cost. This leads to the conclusion that a viable process economics depends on options such as the following: use of unconventional crops; stillage protein credit; co-hydrolysis of starch in immature grain component and sharing of feedstock production cost with mature grain harvest.
- OSTI ID:
- 6920548
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-800814-P3
- Journal Information:
- Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Vol. 25:4; ISSN ACFPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Forage crops can be a source of ethanol
Elemental content of vegetables, grains, and forages field-grown on fly ash amended soil
Related Subjects
090222* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
AGE DEPENDENCE
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
ALFALFA
ANIMAL FEEDS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOHYDRATES
CELLULOSE
CEREALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COST
DECOMPOSITION
ECONOMICS
ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
FOOD
FORAGE
GLUCOSE
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HEXOSES
HYDROLYSIS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LEGUMINOSAE
LIGNIN
LYSIS
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
PLANTS
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
SOLVOLYSIS
SORGHUM
STILLAGE
SYNTHESIS
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES